Means for the prevention of frost on refrigerator doors



Maly 6, 1947. w. B. HAGGERTY 2,420,240

MEANS FOR THE PREVENTION OF FROST ON REFRIGERATOR DOORS Filed March 13,1945 Y v vw' ...I

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f g' 20 INVENroR.

g gllzunnlqcssm Arroknfu Patented May 6, 1947 MEANS Foa THE PREVENTIONoF Faosr oN REEmGERA'roR nooas William B. Haggerty. Tampa, Fla.

Application March 13, 1945, Serial No. 582,527

4 Claims.

l The invention relates to low-temperature compartments or enclosures ingeneral, of the type used for the refrigeration or storage of anymaterial to be held for a period at temperatures below the freezingpoint of water, as exempliiied, for instance, by conventionalrefrigerators and more particularly to those that include alowtemperature compartment.

Such refrigerators are designed to meet general refrigeration problemsand usually include a door for the low-temperature compartment to permitready. access thereto at will.

In order to provide l maximum eillciency, the aforesaid door of thelow-temperature compartment must be insulated and tight fitting. Aconventional door of this type will freeze fast to the door frame of therefrigerator4 because of the gradual accumulation of frost or ice on theframe vcaused by' the moisture which will condense on the frame and doorsurfaces whenever the door is opened, or which may result from possibleleakage of air and moisture through worn gaskets.

The object of the invention is to provide a novel arrangement wherebyundesired accumulation of frost and ice between contiguous parts of therefrigerator is automatically prevented.

Another object of the invention is to provide anovel arrangement inwhich heat from a suitable source is used in associated relation withthe door and contiguous door frame to prevent freezing together of theparts.

The invention contemplates further the provision of a novel arrangementwherein heat developed in the normal operation of a refrigerator may beutilized to automatically prevent accumulation of ice and frost tofreeze the door of said refrigerator fast to the door frame thereof.

Other objects will appear from the description hereinafter, and thefeatures of novelty will be pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an example of theinvention without dening its limits,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation, partly broken away,

' of a refrigerator embodying the novel features;

The bottom 5, top 6. and side walls l, are formed with recesses Il whichtogether comprise a continuous recess extending about the intemal4lowtemperature chamber 8.

The continuous recess I I further accommodates a member I2 fixed in saidrecess in any convenient manner and designed and arranged so as tocompletely'enclose and surround the front opening of the chamber 8. Themember I2, which may be designated as a heated jamb, or facing, is

- designed to provide a source of heat as will appear Fig. 2 is afragmentary horizontal section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a corresponding vertical section on the une 3 3 of Fig. 1.

As shown in the illustrated example, the refrigerator comprises acabinet of conventional rectangular shape and dimensions and consistingof the customary insulated bottom 5, top G, side walls 1, and a suitableback wall.

The interior of the cabinet constitutes a lowtemperature compartment orchamber `8 which is open at the front and normally is closed by means ofan insulated door 9 which is movably mounted in place, for instance, bymeans ofrsuitable hinges III. Suitable means is also provided forlocking the door 9 in its closed position.

y. nr,

more fully hereinafter.

The insulated door 9 is provided' with spaced gaskets I3 and Ill-theformer tting tightly against the member I2 along the inner edge thereof,and the gasket I4 being located in proximity to the outside edge of saiddoor. When the latter is in its closed position, the gaskets I3 and I4form a continuous air space or channel I5 approximately V4 of an inchdeep around the door facing, that is, the bottom, sides, and topthereof.

The door 9 is provided with vents I6 and I1 located respectively at thetop and bottom of said ldoor as shown in Fig. 3. The vent I6 opens ,intothe compartment 8 at the top thereof as indicated at I8 while the ventI'l opens into said compartment at the bottom thereof as shown at I9 inFig. 3. The inlets of the vents I6 and I1 are located just inside of theinner gaskets I3 while the outlets of said vents are located between thegaskets I3 and I4 as shown at 20 in Fig. 3.

In refrigerators of the class under discussion, the conventional door,as previously stated herein, has-a tendency to freeze fast to the doorframe because of the gradual accumulation of frost or ice on the frame.The latter is caused by the moisture which condenses on the frame anddoor 4surfaces when the door is opened and by possible leakage of airand moisture through worn gaskets.

With the novel features embodied in the instant arrangement, thiscondensed moisture is automatically removed as it accumulates and iscarried into the low-temperature compartment 8 where it will deposit onthe coldest surface; namely, the evaporator or refrigeration cold platesor coils.

If low-temperature air that because of its temperature contains verylittle moisture, ls heated, its moisture-carrying capacity increasesrapidly. Air saturated at 20 F. `:vill hold 2% times as much moisture inthe form of low-pressure vapor as air saturated at zero degrees F. Airsaturated at 40 F. will hold six and one half times as much moisture asair saturated at zero degrees F.

If 'a controlled amount of Acold air from the bottom of thelow-temperature compartment 8 is heated and allowed to come into contactwith the moisture that has accumulated on the cold surface of the doorwhere it comes into associated relation with the cold door frame onwhich mois- 3 ture Ihasl also accumulated. the heated air will pick upthe moisture in the form of low-pressure water vapor.

If, by means of convection currents, the heated air containing theevaporated moisture is recirculated into the low-temperature compartment8, such air will be cooled to a temperature below its dew point, and apart of the moisture will be condensed out of the air. i

Heat is readily available in any refrigeration system of the compressiontype. This is the heat in the liquid refrigerant plus the heat ofcompression. Because of the nature of a compression system ofrefrigeration, the hot, discharge gases or the hot liquid under pressureare capable of being forced through any ordinary path or channel.

Since the refrigeration equipment will always go into operationimmediately after the compartment door 9 is opened to thereby admit Warmair to the compartment 8, the aforesaid heat will be immediatelyavailable for its intended purpose in the instant arrangement, as shownand described herein.

In such arrangement, the member I2, constituting a heated jamb orfacing. provides a path for the circulation of said hot gases or hotliquid refrigerant to conduct the same entirely around the front openingof the interior compartment or chamber 8. After being thus circulated,the gas or liquid will return to the conventional passages of therefrigeration system.

In any case, air from the bottom of the compartment 8 will pass throughthe 'inlet I9 into the vents I1 and will be heated by radiation from theheated jamb or member I2. As this air thus becomes heated, it will riseby reason of the stack effect of the vertical air space between thegaskets I3 and I4 and will pass out of the latter into the vent I6 andfrom the latter into lthe upper part of the interior compartment 8.'I'his circulation will be continuous as long as heat from the J'amb ormember I2 is available.

The refrigerant preferably enters the member I2 at the lowest point ofthe member through a 45 pipe connecting it to the high temperature sideof the refrigeration system thereby permitting the member I2 to becompletely filled with the refrigerant. 'I'he refrigerant preferablyleaves the member I2 at its highest point through a 50 pipe connectingit to the refrigerant control device or devices as it passes on to theevaporators or cold surfaces of the refrigeration system.

In the foregoing description, it has been shown how the normal functionsof a conventional refrigeration system'may be used to supply heat to themember I2 which, to utilize this form of heat, may be designed as ahollow channel, or comprise a bar of metal provided with continuousrifle boring or the like.

Obviously, the member I2 may be designed to co-operate with othersources of heat in a. manner to produce the desired results. Forinstance, an electric resistance heater of suitable type may With thenovel arrangement in all forms, the accumulation offrostor ice onthecontiguous surface of the door and door frame, respectively, isautomatically prevented, and the door, consequently, is always capableof being opened without effort.

Although the present invention has been described inconjunction with apreferred embodiment, it is to be understood that modifications andvariations may be resorted to without departing fromvthe spirit andscope of the invention, as those skilled in the art will readilyunderstand. Such variations and modifications are considered to bewithin the purview and scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A refrigerator of the character described including a low-temperaturecabinet having an access opening thereto defining a frame, a door forclosing said opening, means for forming a continuous closed air passagebetween the door and frame when the door is closed, positive means forheating said passage, and means for connecting the continuous closed airpassage with the interiorl ofthe cabinet to provide a convection iiowair circulation therethrough that prevents the accumulation of frost onthe door frame.

2. A refrigerator of the character described including a low-temperaturecabinet having an access opening thereto dening a frame, a door forclosing said opening, means for forming a continuous closed air passagebetween the door and frame when the door is closed, positive means forheating said passage, and said passage being connected with the interiorof the cabinet at spaced points to provide a convection iiow aircirculation therethrough that prevents the accumulation of frost on thedoor fram 3. A refrigerator of the character described including alow-temperature cabinet having an access opening thereto deiining aframe, a door for closing said opening, means for forming a continuousclosed air passage between the door and frame when the door is closed,positive means for heating said passage, and vents at the topand bottomof said continuous closed fair passage opening into the interior of 'thecabinet to provide a convection flow air circulation through saidpassage that prevents the accumulation of frost on the door frame.

4. A refrigerator of the character described including a low-temperaturecabinet having an access opening thereto deiining a frame, a door forclosing said opening, spaced gaskets forming a continuous closed airpassage between the door and frame when the door is closed, a jambportion on said frame extending into the closed air passage and adaptedto be heated by a source of heat, and vents in the door connecting theclosed air passage with the interior of the cabinet.

WILLIAM B. HAGGERTY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the beincorporated in or associated with the member me of this patent;

I2. In such case, the novel features may be used in remote relation tothe refrigeration system.

Where warm water or other warm uids are available, they may becirculated through the passages or boring in the member I2 to perform 702,135,091

the same function as the circulated refrigerant or the electric heater.It will be understood that any suitable means for supplying heat to themember I2 may be satisfactorily used in connection therewith.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,238,511 Thaxter Apr. l5, 1941Newill Nov. 1, 1938 2,254,118 Kucher Aug. 26, 1941 2,141,918 Knight Dec.27, 1938

